Emergency services deployed sniffer dogs and rescue teams to a collapsed derelict building on Thursday evening following reports that homeless individuals frequently used the property for shelter.
The roof of the abandoned house on Stavrodromiou Street, located in the Soteros parish of Larnaca, caved in during the afternoon, prompting an immediate joint response from the Fire Service, the police, and the Larnaca District Local Government Organisation (DLGO).
Specialist teams from the Disaster Response Unit (EMAK) conducted a thorough search of the debris for approximately one hour. Officials confirmed that no casualties or trapped individuals were detected under the rubble.
To ensure public safety, authorities closed the adjacent roadway and announced the controlled demolition of the affected structure alongside an adjoining abandoned property that is also at risk of collapse.
The incident has exposed gaps in municipal monitoring, as the collapsed building was missing from the DLGO registry of dangerous structures handed over by central authorities.
Speaking from the scene, Larnaca DLGO President Angelos Hadjicharalambous confirmed that only the neighbouring property had been formally classified as hazardous.
While Hadjicharalambous reiterated that property owners bear the primary legal responsibility for neutralising structural risks, he stated that the DLGO will proceed with the compulsory demolition of both buildings within the coming days due to the imminent threat to public safety.